First test of the new Southerly 480

The disappearance of Southerly Yachts’ swing keel range of boats was keenly felt. Now the manufacturer is back and first off the production line is the 480. Sam Jefferson checks her out

One of the dominant features of the UKs coastline is the simply phenomenal tidal range and if there is one thing I have learnt from a lifetime of misadventures exploring its shallower corners is that it really pays to have a shallow draft and be able to dry out. It was for this reason that, when Southerly Yachts was wound up for the second time in 2014, its loss was felt very keenly among a certain section of sailors. There are other options out there when it comes to swinging and lifting keels but they are surprisingly limited. To my knowledge, only French manufacturer Feeling offers a GRP swing keel cruising yacht of any size and to be honest I don’t know what Feeling are up to these days. After that you’re into the distinctive and highly Gallic Alubat ‘expedition’ style boats which are great but not to everyone’s taste. So Southerly had essentially cornered a market and then somehow managed to self destruct. Impressive. It was therefore a great relief to many of us when Discovery Yachts – now operating under the name of The Discovery Group – salvaged the brand.

Anyone who hasn’t been following the shenanigans at Discovery’s Marchwood factory has missed a treat. The manufacturer had made a name for itself in creating high quality blue water yachts but was at a crossroads in 2016. With a new CEO at the helm the decision was taken to expand aggressively and the result has been a range that has ballooned beyond recognition to the point where it can get quite confusing. Anyway, the Southerly 480 is one of the first results of all this feverish activity and I was fortunate to be one of the first to test the new boat.

I had been impressed by the sensible business values that seemed to have underpinned Southerly’s resurrection but stepping aboard was the moment where you finally thought ‘well, are these guys for real?’ The fear was that what I was going to see was a rather dated rehash of the old Southerly 47 – first launched in 2012. The hull is essentially exactly the same, after all. Well, I’m always happy to be the bearer of good news and this wasn’t the case. I wasn’t worried about the hull as I knew that looked good. She was designed by Stephen Jones – perhaps best known for his work with Rustler Yachts – and a man renowned for penning a sweet line. No – I was more worried about the general feel in the cockpit and the interior. I need not have worried. Discovery Yachts always had a fine name for quality workmanship and it was immediately evident here. I would say there has been a bit of a step up in terms of quality. Meanwhile, the deck mould is all new; slightly higher than it was on the original 47 and with a big wraparound windscreen she looked strikingly modern; more aggressive than the original version and – whisper it – a little bit flashy. Anyway, it worked, and visually she was impressive. There is an option for an arch over the cockpit for the mainsheet but the test boat did not have this.

At this point it’s probably worth discussing the keel as that is one of the key selling points of the Southerly. The beauty of resurrecting the brand is that their swing keel system is thoroughly tried and tested. Southerlys have crossed many oceans and completed innumerable circumnavigations. The principle is not like a lift keel which retracts vertically into the hull. Instead, the swing keel operates like a giant centreboard in a dinghy. It’s raised and lowered by combining a hydraulic ram, high tensile rope and pulley blocks. The benefit of this system is that if you touch the bottom, the cast iron keel is simply nudged up a tad. No damage done. The entire mechanism is easily inspected by lifting up a couple of floorboards in the cockpit. The yacht also features a ballast plate weighing in at four tons keeps her upright with the keel up and this plate also provides reinforcement when the yacht to is on the bottom when drying out. Twin rudders angled and built into the rocker of the hull aft provide yet more stability when drying out.

On deck

The cockpit feels familiar and is reassuringly enclosed while also being pleasantly sociable. I dislike the use of the word ‘ergonomic’ but it does apply in this case as the cockpit seats were all very thoughtfully angled in a manner that made them supremely comfortable for lounging on. Most of the running rigging is led under the deck to a pair of electric winches on the coachroof. The sail controls are led aft to a pair of primaries within reach of the helmsman and there are a secondary pair of winches just forward of these. The rig features a powerful mainsail and self tacking jib with a second larger headsail set outboard of the self tacker on a sprit. This is a good versatile set up for blue water sailing – and coastal sailing for that matter – certainly for boat testing it means you can throw the yacht about without really thinking about it. Heading forward there are plenty of good handholds plus a substantial double anchor roller.

Down below

Discovery has been refining the concept of deck saloons for some time now. Many manufacturers have to be fair. I do recall that a lot of the early DS yachts actually rather screwed it up by having the windows slightly too high. So there was a lot of light but you were constantly craning your neck to confirm that the view was really there. This was partially the case on the old 47 and the new design has rectified the issue by raising the coachroof just a tad and dropping the windows down a touch. This means that when you step into the saloon you are greeted with excellent panoramic views.

Sam’s verdict

The return of the Southerly is a welcome one. If you are cruising highly tidal areas you are missing out on about 50% of the action without a shallow draft. Yet by the same token, the 480 is a proven blue water performer and the new boat has certainly been carefully thought out. She also looks good and sails well. The quality of Discovery Yachts handiwork also shines through in the fit out and finish and the general feel is that the old 47 has been improved and refined. Of course, lift keels are not for everyone but they have a lot to commend them and the return of this old favourite should help to win over a few more converts.

NEWSLETTER

Receive the latest news, practical advice, videos and competitions in a monthly email put together by the magazine’s editorial team.

I consent to receiving monthly updates from Sailing Today

About Us

Offering a wealth of practical advice and a dynamic mix of in-depth boat, gear and equipment news, Sailing Today is written cover to cover by sailors, for sailors. Since its launch in 1997, the magazine has sealed its reputation for essential sailing information and advice.